Exterior Ideas
Built-in planter. A custom planter is another way to create garage-side planting space where none exists. This weathered steel planter framing a San Francisco entryway could easily be adapted to a garage-side setting. The planter is narrow enough to not take up much room but deep enough to hold tawny New Zealand sedge (Carex testacea, zones 6 to 10) and structural leucadendron.
Flowering vine and potted flowering shrubs. This colorful iteration of the vine and potted plant duo in Charlotte, North Carolina, uses a combination of flowering wisteria and potted hibiscus to frame a double garage door. Bordering floral beds and a garage planting strip add more color and interest to the space. Flowering vines to grow on a garage: American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens, zones 5 to 9) Cimbing roses (Rosa spp.) Jasmine nightshade (Solanum laxum, Zone 9) Fragrant confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, Zone 8)
Garage-framing trellis. To give garage plantings — and your home’s curb appeal — a boost, consider adding permanent trellising up and over the garage door, as was done on this home in South Carolina. Adopt a similar style with Craftsman-style trellising painted to match your home’s exterior and potted vines that ramble up over the supports. Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, Zone 8) and variegated ivy were used here, but other vines could be used to similar effect.
A jaali is a screen of intricately carved cutouts in a wall or window. Used in Indian architecture since bygone times, it filters light and breezes into the interiors, creating beautiful patterns throughout the day. This jaali opens to a courtyard, allowing air into the house while shielding the interior from view.
Jharokha adaptations evoke the romance and history associated with the balcony, adding an Indian appeal to contemporary decor. This jharokha-inspired false window with a relief statue of a hen gives the wall a quirky traditional context. https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/113335129?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u8899&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery4&newsletterId=8899
A spiral staircase inside winds up to a viewing platform in the tower, and a second, larger room provides space for playing, lounging or having a sleepover. The interior is fully insulated and equipped with electricity. A nearly 150-foot-long zip line extends from the back of the treehouse to the lawn, providing an exhilarating way down for adventurous kids and adults.
6. Fairy-Tale Treehouse in the English Countryside Location: Hampshire, England Used as: A fun retreat for a family This romantic treehouse, complete with a turret and a traditional water-reed thatched roof, draws inspiration from fairy tales and folklore. It sits in the backyard of a home in Hampshire and is used by a family; it was designed to inspire imaginative play. The surrounding tall ferns and indigenous and exotic plants add to the magical feel of the treehouse and help it appear to be nestled into the landscape.
The verandas are set deep to enable circulation of air and are enclosed by bamboo poles for privacy and camouflage. The house is built with a mixed palette of materials, including wood planks and yellow Jaisalmer limestone — all in their natural form and locally sourced. https://www.houzz.com/magazine/3-stunning-indian-homes-with-eco-friendly-elements-stsetivw-vs~128032599?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u14337&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery4_4&newsletterId=14337
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